Google is the mastermind behind the platform and software that we call Android today, and they didn’t get there by not being smart. In a bid to improve upon one of the features of their OS, Google entered the development phase again and came out with their very own keyboard technology. This is to be used on Android devices all around, but first, they needed a place to test it and get user feedback before they started to make it available to the general public or as in this case, the users of the pure Android platform. Since they could not launch a beta test for the keyboard, they had to make a tough call and send it to the users of the software made by their main rivals in the market – the iOS developed by Apple.

Dropped in the month of May, a lot of Apple users saw the GBoard – as the keyboard technology was referred to by the designers and developers – and they took an instant liking to it. We should not be the ones to tell you that it is very hard to get Apple fans to like almost anything because of the kind of premium taste that they have been forever treated to. For Google to have made more people happy than angry here, it meant that this same technology would be an instant hit when ported to Android. To take things slow, Google did release this to Android but partially. They made it an option, and only interested users would have to go there to get some of the awesomeness that was Gboard.

First being rolled out as just an update to the normal keyboard that Google has developed, the Gboard has now replaced the main keyboard as a standalone application and doesn’t need to be an update fix anymore. When they were porting this software to Android, they didn’t fail to remember the nice features that made it so appealing on the desk of Apple users, and they packed everything with it. For example, the G button that is embedded in the keyboard means that you can initiate a search at any point of your text or chat. So, bye to your text mate giving you a wrong piece of information when you could just verify it on Google with a tap on the ‘G.’ Also, the Glide Typing option has been put up there, and for those that would love this fancy new mode of typing, we advise that you get yours and just glide away too. Coupled with language support systems (allowing you to implement up to three languages at a time), it is starting to seem like there’s no way for the keyboard to go wrong.

One of the most important aspects of chatting and texting in the year 2016 were emojis and developer started to create newer, cleaner and better packs of this. Google has made sure that you never run out of emojis as the integrated search option also lets you include emojis as well as GIFs in your conversation. The major selling point here is that you do not need to screenshot or copy to send your search results as you would be able just to send them, all from the comfort of the keyboard. This is a very impressive move and laudable achievement in the area of keyboard and texting technology. If we are not to be mistaken, this keyboard in itself is an embodiment of everything Google stands for – helping you to transform the way you look at information and interact with it while making sure that you never at any point in time leave the system.

For those that have been privileged to use the application on both Android and iOS platforms, you would notice that there are significant changes in how the application responds to certain impulses on both operating systems. Even more so, there has been a special preference for the Pixel set of devices that were just designed by Google for its flagship market and Nougat-software too. For the users of either the Pixel or Pixel XL, your Search option can be accessed by making a tap on the arrow placed on the left side of your predictive text bar, after which you tap the magnifying glass icon too. For other Android devices, they could be getting theirs as it seen on the iOS devices, with a gentle G just sitting by the side of the screen, waiting to be put to good use. You can also, from your Preference Settings, choose if you want the G to be a prominent member of the board or not.

The GBoard is now available for download in the Google Play Store, and with it, you just feel like you’ve got a Swiss knife in your pocket.